By Greg Stidsen

THE TARGA FLORIO in Sicily is one of the World’s oldest road races and one of the few that is still alive and well 117 years later. Today, it is a Time Speed Distance rally and not quite the all-out race it once was, but, like the Mille Miglia (the Brescia to Rome race first run in 1927), it attracts thousands of enthusiasts and a rolling display of vintage automotive art. It is also the race that helped Alfa Romeo burnish its reputation for speed, power, and race-winning performance. For Alfisti, the Targa still has an irresistible gravitational draw.

Unlike the early American road race courses like Briarcliff NY, Savannah GA, and Lowell MA, the roads of the Madonie Mountains in Sicily are little changed since 1906. Imagine driving the very same roads in a classic Alfa where famous piloti like Sivocci, Varzi, Nuvolari, and Vaccarella made history! That was a dream shared with me by fellow Club members Tom Ducibella and Lou Sirianni. It all came true as we set off with our spouses, Andrea Stidsen, Angela Nannini, and Vicky Sirianni, navigating the mountain roads in ’63 Alfa Giulia Spiders. These rugged chariots took quite a beating over the poorly maintained mountain roads of Sicily and we suddenly understood the reasoning behind the long wheel travel and accurate steering of the Alfa 101 chassis.  

We followed the official Targa Florio rally that took place 13th–16th October 2022, and even got mixed in with the official race entrants at a few points. The enthusiastic crowds lining the strada didn’t seem to care, waving and photographing the cars as we waved back. The classic Alfas and tour organization was provided by Nostalgic Classic Car Travel, complete with a spare car that followed along on a flatbed truck just in case. They offer a wide variety of driving experiences in Italy, Germany, France, and England.

Every time I drive in Europe I find myself wishing I was piloting my Alfa GTV 2000 and not the boring rental car I picked up at the airport. The narrow, winding roads are perfect Alfa territory. The Madonie Mountain roads of Sicily push that ideal to extremes as the roads are an endless series of ritorni (switchbacks) and mountain grades that are often only as wide as your driveway yet carry two-way traffic. They are often washed out in many places with little blue arrow signs pointing to where the road once was. And don’t look down if you suffer from vertigo! The saving grace is that there is very little traffic and the locals drive with brio. Driving a classic Alfa in the city of Palermo, where the hotel was located, required a different set of defensive driving skills as we rode the waves of traffic in a sea of Fiat Pandas and Vespa scooters, all trying to occupy the same square meter at the same exact time.

Sweet memories of the little mountain towns and wonderful restaurants perched on the mountainsides still linger. We visited places and experienced Italian culture in ways that few tourists can imagine. From the Targa Florio Museum in Collesano to the Byzantine town of Isnello and beauty of the Parco delle Madonie, we enjoyed it all. Top-down touring in a classic Alfa is the perfect way to experience Sicily and a dream fulfilled.